COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL. BANK OF ENGLAND RETURN.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVI, Issue 122, 21 November 1908, Page 4

COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL. BANK OF ENGLAND RETURN.

By Telegrrtph. — Pref» Asaoolation.— Copyright. LONDON, 20th Novembor. Tho Bank of England return issued for tho week onding Wednesday, 18th November, is as under: — Issue Depaiitment. Note issue £52,611,000 Gov. debt £11,015,000 Other securities ... 7,4ai,000 Gold ... 3-1,105,030 £52,614,000 £52,614,000 Banking Department. Pr'priet'rs' Gov. becuricapital £14,553,000 ties ... £14,731,000 Public tie- Other bopo&its ... 8,997,000 curities... 26,185.000 Other de- Notes ... 24.210,000 poßils ... 40,018,000 Coin ... I.CSS.OOO Beat, 7-<lay nud other bills ... 3,196,000 £06,761,000 £66,764,000 The leading items of the Bank of England return afford the following comparison: — This week. Last week. Last year. £ £ £ Bullion... 34,165.000 34,090,000 29,247.000 Reserve... 25,848,000 25,371,000 19,915,000 Note cir'n 28,404,000 28,799,000 29,020,000 Deposits 49,015,000 47,806,000 51,281,000 Proportion \ reserve to liabilities 52.67 33.03 38.78 GOVERNMENT SECURITIES. Tho following are the latest quotations for Government securities, with a comparison of those ruling last week: —

The bank rate of discount for three month bills is unchanged at 2£ per cent. Three months bills in London, £ lower at 2 1-16 per cent.; in Paris, unchanged at'2| per cent.; in Berlin, & lower at 2£ per cont. Short loans, i lower at li per cent, j COLONIAL AND OTHER PRODUCE, j Whoat — Stocks are boing held for 3d to 6d higher, but there is little demand, x buyors not responding to recent riso in the .American market, which has quietened sinco tho reports of rain in Argentina damaging crops. Fourteen thousand quarters of Australian December' shipment sold at 375, a decline of 6d on last .week's quotation. Cargoes of Australian, per sailing vessels, August shipment, are | quotod at 393, November shipment 38s 3d, ! December shipment 37s 6d; per steamer. \ November shipment, 395, January-Febru-ary 37s 6d, December-January parcels, j per steamer, are quoted at 37s 3d. j Flour — Prices havo advanced 6d to la per sack. In London Australian patent brands are quoted at 26s to 27s per sack of 2801b, ex store, and 25s 9d to 26s j on passage. Fair business is doing in Glasgow, whore January-February ship- | ment sells at 27s 6d por sack. Butter — Tho market is gloomy, owing to the heavy Homo production and exceptional supplies of French and Irish brands, consequent on tho late warm weather. Danish is unchanged at 124s j to 126s per cwt. Australian and Now Zealand have declined in value, selling at 114s and 116s, with an occasional riso to 118s, compared with 120s to 122s last week for choice Now Zealand ; while socondary lots and Queensland brands are quoted at 108s to 112s. Svgar — German beet unchanged at 10s 3d por cwt; first marks, granulated, unchanged at 12s Id. Wool — The Antwerp wool sales opened <vith. animated competition. Merinos advanced 5 to 10 centimes, and crossbreds 10 to 18 centimes on September rates; 2469 bales of La Plata offered and 1900 sold. The Bradford market is less ex.cited than -it was last week, tho advance in price restricting business. Tops are quoted at ll^d for 40's, 13d for 46's, 23d for common 60's, and 24d for super 60s. THE PRICE OF METALS. Copper — On tho spot, 16s 3d lower, at £62 18s 9d por ton; three months, 15s lowor, at £63 17s 6d. Tin — On the spot, 10s lower, at £136 10s per ton; three months, 20s higher, at £138 10s. Spelter, £21 per ton. Pig-iron, scl lower, at 48s lid per ton. (Received November 21, 9.20 a.m.) LONDON, 20th November. The pearlshell sale was tho best for years; 4320 cases were offered and sold at an average advance of £1, except West Australian, which was 10s dearer. THE WELLINGTON HIDE AND SKIN SALES. j Tho brokers (Dalgety and Co., Ltd., j Levin and Co., Ltd., Murray, Roberts j and Co., Ltd., Loan and Morcantilo Co., I Ltd., Abraham and Williams, Ltd.) held their fortnightly sale of the above yesterday. Fairly largo catalogues were submitted, and competition on tho part of the numerous buyers present was keen. Prices for sheepskins moved upwards in consequence of the bettor tone of tho wool market, the advance approximately boing a halfponny a pound. Hides were also in improved demand, quotations being a farthing to a halfpenny higher than last sale rates. Tallow was firm. - Quotations : — Sheepskins — Fine crossbred, Gd to 7«l per lb; medium-, 53d to 6d; coarso, sd; dead skins, 2id to 4;>d; hoggets, 2£d to 4^d ; dry pelts, Id to 3^d each ; lambskins, 6d to Is 2cl oach ; green skins, 2s 6d to ss. Hides — Ox hides (heavy) 6d to 6|?d per lbj-rnodium, s£d to 6d ; light, 43d to s£d ; cowhides, heavy, to 42<J ; light, 4d t!o 4id; Cut and slippy hides, 2cl to 4d ; stag hides, 2id to 3id; bull hides, 2d to 3^d ; calf, best, 7£d to 71d; calf, medium, 6d; in- j ferior, 2d to 4ad. j Tallow — Parcels in shipping order, £25 10s; tins, £18 to £21 10s; rough fat, £10 to £14. |

Price. Variations compared with last week. ii% Imperial Consols I % New South Wales ... tj% New South Wales ... ! % New South "Wales ... k % Victorian IJ% Victorian ! % Victorian (£% South Australian I % South Australian I, % Queensland 'i% Queensland i % Queensland i % New Zealand* !£■& New Zealand! ! % New Zealand! ! i% AVestiulian t % 'Wustrahau (J% Tiibmnumn i~% Tasimvuiau £ b. d. 84 7 C 108 10 0 90 0 0 87 0 0 104 5 0 10J 0 0 89 0 0 100 0 0 «6 15 0 107 0 0 LOO 10 0 87 0 0 107 0 0 10J 0 0 87 15 0 07 10 0 86 12 (i 99 0 0 83 0 0 £>•/ lower 10/- higher Uucliaaged Unchanged Unchanged 5/- lower Unchanged 10/- higher Unchanged 10/- higher 10/- higher Unchanged Uncuuuged Unchanged 5/- higher Unchanged UncuanKed Unchanged Unchanged * Interest payable in M t Interest payable in Ji j Interest payable in A [ay and No [iiiuary and pnl and Oi ivembor. Uoly. ctober.